Outside the western walls of the village crept a man in a hooded cloak. Once he reached the outer wall, he stood to his full height of six-foot-seven inches. He tilted his head up to see if anyone was walking along the wall above him. When he was sure he was alone, two lightly glowing-orange chains around his waist stretched up to the top of the wall and he began scaling it. Up at the top he noticed a commotion on the western end of town. The entire eastern wall seemed to be abandoned. So much so he could have just walked through gates. He crouched back down and peered into the village. A few days ago he found out that the Champion of Chimera had fled east. Surely to avoid the wrath of the Crimson Summit. He’d been riding hard ever since. Now he just needed to find out what was going on in the village of Hillcrest. Hopping off the wall, he noticed a guardsman with a bundle of arrows in his hands rushing from one building to the next.

“Excuse me, what’s going on?” Caphida asked.

“Where have you been? There is a horde of goblins at the western gate. They just keep coming over the ridge. Wait, you’re huge. Did you come with the adventurers and Deep Dwellers? Why weren’t you at the meeting? I’m sure you can do a lot of damage. Come on, we could really use your help,” the guard responded urging Caphida to follow him.

“Oh you mean the meeting with the guy with braided hair and a dumb look on his face?” Caphida prodded.

“Yea, that’s him. Some people are even saying he’s filthy rich. He won’t be fighting though,” said the guardsman as he angled toward the road looking west.

“Why’s that?” Caphida asked hoping the little shit was holed up in one of these buildings easy for him to get to.

“I heard he stayed behind last night to slow down the goblins north and east of here. Good thing too, that gave us more time to prepare. We’ve been peppering them with arrows since noon. Hey where’d he go?” the guardsman asked himself now that he was standing in the street all alone.

Deacon had been running through rolling hills and rocky terrain for several hours now. Since he doesn’t get tired, he figured this put enough distance between him and the goblins that if they were chasing him, he bought a bunch more time for his party. A couple hours back his connection to the party link broke as well. It was active long enough to heal the holes that were in his chest. It didn’t prevent the green blood stains from setting in on his orange hoody. Back in the bag it went. Then Deacon felt something behind him and threw himself to the ground. There was nothing there. He crouched and took in his surroundings. Deacon found himself standing in a ring of stones about ten-feet-high each. They were too perfect to be naturally formed. But why did he stop here? Because he was changing his shirt. Something still didn’t feel right to him, that’s when magical writing began to appear up and down the stones before they failed and sputtered out.

“What the hell was that?” Deacon asked out loud.

“There you are. I was just about to turn back but it seems I will fulfill my purpose in this sun drenched world after all,” came an otherworldly voice from behind one of the stones.

“Look I don’t know what you’re talking about but I’m going to go. See ya,” Deacon said before sprinting toward the closest space between two stones. That appeared to be a mistake as a meaty right fist slammed into Deacon’s chest sending him tumbling back into the ring of stones.

“None of that, you see I was given an order to kill you and what the old one wants, the old one gets,” said the voice stepping fully into the light shielding it’s eyes from the sun with Goran’s big right arm.

It seemed that the Orc Deacon killed was now a puppet for some unseen force. It’s eyes were all black and some green-black ichor was dripping from the mouth. Deacon could still the line he cut through the body just poorly holding itself together as the skin sagged in places. The most outstanding feature was two black horns jutting from the Orc’s temples. Deacon really wished he had his inspect ability right about now. He realized this must be some form of demon possession. The only thing keeping the monster from rushing him was the sun. It seemed to impede the creature. He’d have to use that to his advantage.

“So, I’m guessing an inhabitant of the abyss? Maybe some old gods taint washer? Stop me when I’m getting close,” Deacon jabbed earning a ball of spit flying at his head. He ducked under it watching it splat against the ground and begin sizzling.

“Oops,” was all the monster said before advancing on Deacon.

Deacon knew standard hand to hand tactics wouldn’t help him here and he hadn’t stood here long enough for one of those Tempest storms to build up. He’d have to try out one of his old reliable abilities. Activating Ice Sickles didn’t go as planned. The ability triggered but two balls of lighting appeared instead of the spinning ice blades. He could work with this. Deacon sent the first spinning ball at the monster, and it leaped into the air avoiding it completely.

“What about the second one?” Deacon asked as the second one slammed into its chest. Unlike the Ice Sickles that just carve their way through most objects the lighting ball just rotated the Orc body in the air and exploded in a flash of light and sizzling meat. The body flopped to the ground charred and damaged. Then it began to sit up. First the thick right hand found purchase in the dirt then it got to one knee. As it looked up at Deacon, it caught a boot to the face sending the head snapping back. The head dangled at an unnatural angle.

“I definitely felt that. You’re no mere human are you. I thought this would be an easy task but this hurts,” taunted the demon from inside the Orc.

Deacon was at a loss. That lighting ball attack appeared to hurt it, but it was still moving. The clouds above Deacon were coalescing and beginning to swirl. He didn’t know if he should switch sources of power or keep going as is. He decided to arc more lighting into it by initiating Nether Beam. Hopefully with a little more accuracy than last time. The power shot from between his fingertips like a blacklight came to life. It lanced directly into the body burning away flesh and filling the air with an acrid smell. The only thing left were charred bones. Deacon quickly checked his soul energy bar. He was only down fifteen percent from this fight leaving him at a whopping two-hundred-eighty five percent. Then he heard the laughing.

“Ha. Now I’m untethered. What will you do now little mortal—” but his question was interrupted by Deacon grabbing the ethereal demon by the throat.

“Now I know what to do!” Deacon said as he focused on his breathing technique. The demon struggled in his grip trying to get away, not understanding how he was being physically restrained. Deacon began to absorb the soul energy of the demon noticing it was thicker like molasses compared to the normal souls he’s consumed but the runes on the stones began glowing again. More vibrantly than last time. Suddenly the demon’s soul was ripped away from Deacon’s grasp and it split into five lines from the source, each line pouring into the stones around him. Then Deacon received a prompt from his slate.

Mortal Plane Wode: Outsiders- This Wode was meant to imprison two outsiders who encroached about this worlds deities. The Outsiders within power their prison. This Wode will draw challenges from your mind. Defeat one of the prisoners to claim your reward. Should you fail, this will aid the Deposed God’s war on your currently pantheon.

“Way out here? Was a demon sacrifice the key to entering this one? What are the odds?” Deacon asked himself out loud as the stones began to pulse and vibrate. He felt that familiar bloating again as the storm above him began to coat the area in sheets of rain. Then he heard a sizzling sound. He looked down to see a lance of fire sticking out of his right leg followed by waves of pain.

“Found you!” Caphida said through panting breaths before hopping down next to Deacon.

Wode rules have changed: Outsider Nemesis Battle- Escape the Wode before your nemesis. Challenge increased along with rewards.

“Fuck me,” said Deacon before the world around them both dissolved around them.